DREW'S TEACHER INQUIRY
Chapter 2: Standards Walls:
Transforming standards into clear learning goals.
Academic Vocabulary
Students awash with the unfamiliar
Many students have a vague idea of the academic vocabulary swirling around them in a void of misunderstanding.
Disconnected
Lost in translation
The trouble with posting standards on walls is that they are woefully presented; disconnected and illegible. They are akin to food menus in an international food court, written in languages mono-linguals are ill-equipped to interpret.
How do akonga connect to standards written on walls?
The implications:
The standards need to be co-constructed with akonga. The language MUST be written for the akonga in a language they have mastery in. It still be hooves kaiako to maintain the rigour of the standard when these are published onto learning walls.
Walls that talk
Akonga exemplars
Learning goals and standards should be accompanied with exemplars created by akonga, photocopies and photos of learning splashed across the walls. Post-its or highlighted texts, annotated signage, connects the two visually; contextual road signs on the journey to learning. Celebrations of connected learning presented in a way that akonga, kaiako and whanau can *admire.
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Footnote: *Learning in a vacuum, void of the real-life social connections that akonga live in, is unjust. Mana and self-efficacy improve significantly, when several parties praise akonga for their achievements.
T.I.P CHARTS
Terms Information Pictures
According to Rollins, TIP charts enable akonga to collaborate the meaning of academic vocabulary and to create a memorable visual depiction, thus through the process further cementing the concept within the mind of akonga. Simply put, this 'device' provides learners a graphic manner through which to engage with academic vocabulary.
Acquiring Language
from walls that talk to connecting learners with the world
Acquiring language such as academic vocabulary is mirrored in the way that akonga learn to understand and apply surface features like punctuation in writing. Knowing what an ellipsis is, is vastly different to knowing when to appropriately use it for impact in one's piece of writing.
In terms of teaching a writing workshop, a kaiako would reference the learning goal "W.A.L.T- use punctuation like ... appropriately" and then use this in the daily modelled piece of writing, in context. From here akonga can be pressed with the challenge to implement the surface feature in their writing, I.e- the learning goal can be applied through their writing. Reflecting on this the next day and at the end of the week, by asking akonga to highlight instances of the surface feature in their writing, gives context and purpose and pushes the notion of reflective learning.
So how does knowing this and using standards walls help?
Connecting akonga to their learning and co-constructing the language, sharing understanding of learning goals, and then presenting these on classroom walls, IS the point.
The appropriate time for akonga to apply these learning goals depends greatly on their need. For instance, displaying TIP on walls and reminding akonga to access this, when needed, provides opportunity. But the GOAL needs to be a shared understanding, and so language used in the goal COULD be explored using a TIP chart or indeed, the very language necessary to acquire the content knowledge of the inquiry itself would be displayed on the wall using TIP charts or other academic vocabulary graphic organisers.
EXAMPLE:
Let us place ourselves in a classroom that is exploring Living World science.
"Enduring understanding: Akonga will learn that people may cause animals to become a threatened or endangered species. They will come to terms with what they, in their lives, can do to prevent animals from becoming endangered."
"W.A.L.T- explain how we could prevent Seaturtles from being extinct" (learning goal)
When an akonga enquires into this learning about Seaturtles. They are presented with language such as 'threatened, endangered, extinct, prevent, species' etc. But they need to understand these terms in order to fully connect with the enduring understanding. Supporting akonga to CONNECT is the job of a kaiako.